Tour Highlights
- Option to arrive early and enter the South Island GC Championship to be held in Ashburton 22-25 February
- Christchurch – the “Garden City” – the charming French settlement of Akaroa.
- Spectacular Aoraki Mount Cook and the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre.
- A high country sheep station.
- Play Golf Croquet and have social activities with the locals at four different South Island Croquet Clubs.
- Lindis Pass and the beautiful lakeside town of Wanaka.
- Historic Arrowtown and the cosmopolitan adventure capital of Queenstown.
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrive Christchurch
Arrive into Christchurch International Airport this afternoon: haere mai, welcome to New Zealand! After entry formalities, meet your tour manager and depart for your hotel in the centre of Christchurch, the “Garden City”. After checking in to your hotel and a chance to freshen up, enjoy a ‘welcome’ dinner this evening.
Day 2 – Christchurch
This morning you can explore the rejuvenated heart of Christchurch with its vibrant laneways and riverside precinct. Perhaps take an informative ride through the city centre on an historic tram, take a stroll through the beautiful Botanic Gardens or visit Riverside Market to sample local produce.
This afternoon visit one of the Christchurch croquet clubs and enjoy a couple of social games with local enthusiasts. A free evening tonight.
Day 3 – Christchurch – Akaroa
Depart Christchurch after breakfast and travel to the picturesque Banks Peninsula region. Arrive into the French settlement of Akaroa with time for a stroll and lunch in this charming seaside village.
This afternoon enjoy a harbour cruise, spotting rare Hector’s dolphins (smallest in the world), pelagic birdlife, seals and other marine life inhabiting the area. Dinner and overnight in Akaroa.
Day 4 – Akaroa – Ashburton – Lake Tekapo
This morning play croquet with the locals at the picturesque Akaroa Club, followed by a light lunch.
Depart inland across the Canterbury Plains patchwork of
farming enterprises and onto the Mackenzie Country: a high, dry inland region of austere beauty, punctuated by
the large aqua-blue glacier-fed lakes that generate much of New Zealand’s hydro-electricity. The beautiful Southern Alps, including New Zealand’s highest peak, Aoraki Mount Cook (3,754m), provide a dramatic backdrop to this area.
Later this afternoon, arrive at beautiful Lake Tekapo and check into your hotel for the evening. Tekapo is known as one of the best places in the world for stargazing and there are options to visit the hill top observatory or take in the skies while relaxing in the lakeside hot pools.
Day 5 – Lake Tekapo – Aoraki Mount Cook
Enjoy time in Tekapo including a visit to the spectacularly located Church of the Good Shepherd and nearby collie statue honouring the hardworking sheepdogs of early pioneers. This afternoon visit one of the region’s iconic high country stations and learn about farming in this beautiful but climatically challenging environment. Travel on via the hydro canals and lakes, arriving into Aoraki Mount Cook Village for dinner and overnight amidst the Southern Alps.
Day 6 – Aoraki Mount Cook – Omarama – Wanaka
Morning walking or mountain and glacier flight-seeing options (wallet and weather allowing!) and the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre is well worth a visit. Later we depart and travel further south.
After a break for lunch in the rural township of Omarama, travel over the Lindis Pass into the spectacular Central Otago countryside. This region is renowned historically for gold mining but, in more modern times, for its vineyards, fruit orchards, merino sheep and lakeside holiday spots. Later this afternoon, arrive in to Wanaka for a two-night stay beside the lake. Dinner at your hotel tonight.
Day 7 – Wanaka
A free morning in Wanaka – there is something for everyone from the renowned Wheels and Warbirds Museum and village stores to walking, biking, a round of golf or even a dip in the lake!
This afternoon enjoy croquet with the local Wanaka club and social time to follow.
Day 8 – Wanaka – Cromwell – Queenstown
This morning travel via the region’s expansive fruit orchards and vineyards, naturally with a visit to sample the fine Pinot Noir wine produced in this region!
Later arrive into Queenstown on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. With the stunning backdrop of the Southern Alps, Queenstown is one of New Zealand’s most beautiful destinations. Check in to your hotel for a three night stay. Dinner at your hotel tonight.
Day 9 – Around Queenstown
After breakfast tour the surrounding area including the historic gold-mining village of Arrowtown and a stop at Kawerau Bridge – home to the world’s first bungy-jumping centre! The rest of the day you are free to further explore Queenstown. Perhaps a relaxing cruise of Lake Wakatipu on the historic steamer TSS Earnslaw or an exhilarating jet-boat ride through the Shotover Gorge. There are plenty of shopping options, chances to savour local food and wine,
paraglide, scenic flights, play golf, or take a hike on one
of the local tracks. For great views, ride the gondola above Queenstown to Bob’s Peak, with stunning views of the town, the Remarkable Mountains and Lake Wakatipu.
Day 10 – Queenstown
Today will include croquet with local clubs followed by a farewell dinner together.
Day 11 – Depart Queenstown
Morning at leisure to further explore Queenstown, known as the adventure capital of the world.
Later depart for Queenstown Airport and check in for your return flights to Australia.
11 days escorted Tour
Departing 26 February 2024
Pricing
LAND ONLY
Twin share/double room
AUD $ 6,985
(per person)
Single Supplement add
AUD $ 1,866
BOOKINGS AND DEPOSITS
To secure your place on this program please complete the booking form and send with your deposit of $2,000 per person to Quadrant Australia. Please contact us if you need assistance with booking flights.
Inclusions
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- All land travel in the private use of modern comfortable coaches.
- Quality 4 – 5 star accommodation with private en-suite facilities.
- Tips and gratuities for guides and drivers.
- Sightseeing, entrances and games of Golf Croquet as outlined in itinerary.
- Meals as detailed in itinerary shown as
B = Breakfast L = Lunch D = Dinner. - Backpack, tour book, tour sports shirt and stainless steel refillable water bottle.
NOT INCLUDED
- Additional costs associated with entry into the South Island GC Championships.
(our staff can assist with entry) - Airfares to and from New Zealand
(our staff can assist with flight bookings). - Meals not specified in the itinerary.
- All items of a personal nature, such as laundry, phone calls and alcoholic beverages and optional tours.
- Travel insurance, cancellation fees.
- Passport fees and visa charges (if applicable).
TOUR LEADER
COLIN BECKETT
Colin started playing croquet when he settled on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in 2020. He is now an enthusiastic regular at the local croquet club and starting to participate in CQ and SSCR golf croquet competitions. Colin is well experienced as a tour leader – having led and escorted numerous groups around Australia and many parts of the world since stating AgTour Australia (a forerunner to Quadrant Australia) in Rockhampton back in 1985. Colin is partly retired, but still plays an active role as a director with Quadrant
Australia.